Steel automobile door



March 27, 1934. c. w. AVERY 5 STEEL AUTOMOB ILE DOOR Filed Jan. 16, 1931 7 E 1 INVENTOR X Clarence Wfiyer BY ffimmzss fire/( y PIERCE +/61/1/r I LA 2 1f EJ.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934- STEEL AUTOMOBILE DOOR Clarence W. Avery, Detroit, Mich, assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Appucaubn January 16. 1931, Serial No. 509,176

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of doors for automobile bodies, and particularly to the construction of all metal doors.

The principal object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide a door made up of a minimum number of separate parts whereby the cost of fabrication and 4 assembly may be reduced, without sacrificing, and

generally increasing, the strength of the com" pleted structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door construction in which the framing, including the side and top frame member, is an integral unit formed from a single piece of stock without welding or otherwise joining separate parts to form the complete unit.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of the various parts of my improved structure described and claimed in the 5 accompanying specification, and shown in the drawing, in which: 1 r

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sideelevation of the outside of an automobile door embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the inside of an automobile door embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the principal door framing member embodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional View taken on the 145 line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig.2.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. r

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 2.

Automobile doors made entirely of metal are known in the art. It has, however, been the practice to form them of a relatively large number of fabricated metal parts which are separately formed and must be joined and assembled together to form the complete door. I have devised a construction which eliminates a number of the separate parts and thereby eliminates a number of joints in the door construction and increases the strength when assembled, simplifies the fabrication of the various parts by eliminating a number of the separate parts and simplifies and lessens the cost of assembly.

In the drawing I have illustrated a door designated generally by the numeral 10, the main parts of which consist of an outer panel 11 which forms the entire outer surface of the door, an inner .panel 12 which forms the inner face of the door 5 below the window opening, a single frame member 13 which forms the framing for the sides and top of the door' and a window moulding member 14 which forms the inner face of the door above the belt line and which together with the outer panel forms the means for retaining the sliding glass window 15 which is disposed to move vertically in the door to open and close the window.

The main framing member 13 comprises the rail 16, which is the framing member for the free edge or" the door, and the rail 22, which is the 5 framing member for the hinged edge of the door, and the top rail 23 which comprises the top framing member of the door. On the lower ends of the side rail members 16 and 22 are formed flat flanges 28 which are bent to extend toward one i another and at right angles to the rails 16 and 22. Their purpose will be hereafter explained and described.

The framing member 13 is formed from a single piece of sheet metal bent to shape and comprises generally an outwardly directed flange 25 providing a jamb overlap along its outer margin and an inwardly directed flange 26 along its inner margin and a web portion 24 extending between the flanges 25 and 26. As illustrated, the web so portion 24 is formed with an inwardly offset depression along the major portion of the length of the rail 22 and also along the major portion of the length of the top rail 23, and this web portion 24 is formed to compound angle section along the length of the rail 16. The inwardly offset depression or channel in the rails 22 and 23 serve to reinforce and stiffen these rails and they may also (but not necessarily) provide a surface upon which the channels for supporting and guiding the window glass 15 may rest and be secured.

The compound angle section of the web portion 24 of the rail 16 also reinforces and stiffens that rail and presents a rabbeted surface adapted to. engage its complement on the door jamb of the body of the automobile when the door is closed and provide a tight and rigid joint therewith. It will be noted that where the bend occurs in the upper corners of the frame member 13 that'the compound shapes are omitted and that the webportions 24 are left plain so that they may be readily bent to form a rectangular door frame. This is also true at the lower corners of the frame member where the flanges 28 are bent at right angles to the members 16 and 22. 5 It is to be understood that the web portion 24 desired shape to accomplish the purpose desired and that it need not take the precise shape shown in the drawing. As before stated, the member 13 is formed of a single piece of sheet metal and may be fabricated to any cross-sectional shape desired by any conventional method, such as stamping or rolling.

The outer panel 11 is formed of a single metal sheet and is flanged at its side and top edges over the outwardly extending flanges on the frame member 13 and is preferably secured to these flanges by spot-welding.

The inner panel 12 is positioned with its'side edges upon the outer surface of the flange 26 on the frame member 13 and is preferably secured thereto by spot-welding. Its intermediate vportion is formed to provide indented or offset boss portions 33 and 34 which may be utilized to provide a support for the conventional window regulating mechanism and the lock and latch mechanism which are disposed between the panels 11 and 12. The lower portion of the panel 12 below the boss portions 33 and 34 is provided with cutaway portions 35 which provide apertures giving access to the window regulating and latch mechanisms. Cut-away portions 36 are also provided in the lower portion of the panel 12, the edges of these being offset to stiffen and strengthen the panel. The metal taken out of these cut-away portions also serves to lighten the panel. The panel is also provided with an inwardly indented portion 37 which extends vertically thereof between the cut-away portions 3536 and which also increases the rigidity of the panel. The lower edge of the panel 12 as shown in Fig. 6 is turned outwardly as at 29 and secured upon and reinforced by the flanges 28 of the frame member 13. The extreme edge of this flange 29 is turned downwardly as shown at 31 and the lower edge of the panel 11 is bent thereover and secured thereto preferably by spot-Welding, thus forming the sill overlap portion for the lower end of the door.

Secured to the inner surface of the panel 12, as shown in Fig. 6, is a bracket 48 which forms a stop for the lower edge of the window glass 15. As shown in Fig. 7, the upper edge of the inner panel 12 is turned inwardly and down as at 37 and is provided with tongues 38 and struck inwardly and spaced from the flange 37 and forming a support for a tacking strip and stiffening member 39 which extends across the upper edge of the panel 12.

The outer panel 11 is cut away in its upper portion to provide a window opening and the edges of the panel around this window opening are flanged inwardly to form an ornamental moulding for the outside edge of the window opening and also to provide a portion of the glass run channel as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The inner edges of the panel 11 along that edge of the window opening adjacent the hinge rail 22 are flanged to rest upon and be secured to the surface provided by the depressed channel in the web section 24 of the rail 22. struction and form is followed along the top edge of the window opening in connection with the top rail member 25. Along that edge of the window opening adjacent the rail member 16, the inner edge of the panel 11 is supported in spaced relation to the rail 16 by a spacing member 40 which has portions secured to the inner edge of I the panel 11 and other portions offset and secured A similar con-- Separate glass run channels, now shown, are attached to the rails 16 and 22 below the window opening to guide and retain the window in its lowered position.

The other panel member 14 which constitutes the balance of the construction and the inner facing of the door around the window opening comprises a stamping of generally channel shape in cross-section as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7. Theouter edge of this panel 14 along the sides of the window rests upon but is not secured to the inwardly extending flange 26 on the frame members l6 and 22. The upper edge of the panel 14 is return-bent to provide an upwardly presenting channel 41 along its inner surface and this channel 41 is adapted to receive and engage the flange 26 upon the top frame member 25, as shown inFig. 5. The lower outer edge of the panel 14 along the lower edge of the window opening is flanged to fit down over the outer surface of the upper end of the inner panel 12 as shown in Fig. 7. The inneredge of thepanel 14 along the sides and top of the window Op ning is flanged in a return direction to provide one side of the window glass run channel as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Along the lower edge of the window opening this inner edge is merelyturned back as shown in Fig. 7 and spaced from the inwardly flanged portion of the outer panel 11 to provide clearance for the window glass 15. The panel 105 14 is fixed in position by means of the engagement of the channel 41 along its upper edge with the flange 26 of the top frame member 25, as shown in Fig. 5, and along the lower edge of the window opening by means of screws or other similar means 42 which are driven .into the tacking strip 39 as shown in Fig. '7. This panel 14 can therefore be removed by removing the screws 42 and swinging the panel away. from the window opening at the bottom which will disengage the channel 41 from the flange 26 at the top.

Hinge members may be secured to the frame member 22 as shown in Fig. 4 by insertingthe plate of the hinge through a suitable opening in the outer panel and through suitable openings in the depressed portion of the web section 24. The hinge plate may be welded, riveted, or otherwise secured as desired to the frame member 22.

I have provided a complete door made up of four principal members-a framing member constituting the side and top frames of the door being made of a single integral piece of metal formed up to the desired crosssectional shape and bent to the shape of the door; an outer panel 11 which is formed of a single piece of metal and constitutes the entire outer surface of the door; aninner panel 12 which constitutes the entire inner surface of the door below the window opening and. the lower edge of which provides the iamb face of the bottom of the door and together with the lower edge of the outer panel 11 forms the sill overlapalong the bottom edge of the door, and the panel 14 which constitutes the inner surface of the door around the window opening. and which may be readily removed to-permit the insertion or replacement of the Window glass. Thus the cost of manufacture and assembly of such a door is reduced by reducing the number of separate parts which go to make up the structure; and the strength of the door is increasedbypro 145 viding a unitary main frame member and thereby eliminating the joints betweenthe separate frame members ofv previous constructions.

I claim: a

1. A door structure. for an automobile bodylfl comprising a unitary frame member forming the sides and top of the door and composed of a single sheet metal member having outwardly presented flanges formed on one side forming the door jamb overlap, lateral flanges on its other side for supporting the inside surface panels, and a web portion extending between said flanges and forming the door jamb faces, a single sheet metal panel attached to said outwardly presented flanges forming the entire outer surface of the door and having a window opening in its upper portion and having its edges at said opening forming one side of the retaining means and guide for a window glass, a single sheet metal panel supported on said lateral flanges and forming the inner surface of the door below the window opening and having an outwardly and downwardly directed flange at its lower end, said outwardly directed portion forming the jamb face at the bottom of the door and said downwardly directed flange being connected to the lower edge of said outside panel and forming the door sill overlap, and a single sheet metal panel member forming the inner surface of said door around said window opening and having its inner edge forming the other side of the retaining means and guide for said window glass and having its outer edges along its sides supported on the lateral flange of said frame, and interlocked along its top with the lateral flange on the top portion of said frame member, and resting along the lower side of said window opening upon and overlapping the upper edge of said inner panel.

2. In a door of the class described, the combination of a frame member forming the side and top edges of the door comprising a single piece of sheet metal of U-shape and of predetermined cross section to provide outwardly directed marginal overlap flanges along its outer edges and inwardly directed marginal support flanges along its inner edges, an outer facing member comprising a single sheet metal stamping having its edges secured to said overlap flanges on said frame member and having a window opening in its upper portion, an inner facing member below said window opening comprising a single sheet metal stamping having its side edges secured to the support flanges on the inner edge of said frame member and having its lower edge joined to the lower edge of said outer facing member to form the jamb face and overlap flange for the bottom of said door, and an inner facing member comprising an integral sheet metal member surrounding said window opening removably supported on the support flanges of said frame member.

3. In a door of the class described, the combination of a frame member forming the side and top edges of the door comprising a single piece of sheet metal of U-shape and of predetermined cross section to provide outwardly directed marginal overlap flanges along its outer edges and facing supporting flanges along its inner edges, an outer facing member comprising a single sheet metal stamping secured at its edges to said overlap flanges on said frame member, and inner facing members secured to the said facing supporting flanges along the inner edge of said frame member.

4. In a door of the class described, a sheet metal frame member constituting the side and top rails of a door comprising a single piece of material of U shape, and inner and outer panels of thinner gauge material than that of said frame member, as separate elements secured to said member.

5. In a door of the class described, a sheet metal frame member constituting the side and top rails of a door comprising a single piece of material having a jamb face and an outwardly flanged edge portion, and inner and outer panels of thinner gauge material than that of said frame member, as separate elements secured to said member.

6. In a door of the class described, a sheet metal frame member constituting the sides and the cross rails of the door comprising a single sheet of material having a jamb face, an outwardly flanged edge portion, and of U shape to constitute a cross and two side members of a door rail, and inner and outer panels of thinner gauge material than that of said frame member as separate elements secured to said member.

CLARENCE W. AVERY. 

